


Super Heart-Throbbing Chocolate Confession!

by KittyAngora



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, Dangan Ronpa 3: The End of 希望ヶ峰学園 | The End of Kibougamine Gakuen | End of Hope's Peak High School, Super Dangan Ronpa 2
Genre: Alternate Universe - Non-Despair (Dangan Ronpa), Bromance, Class 77 (Danga Ronpa), Eventual Komahina, Fluff, Love Confessions, M/M, Multi, Rare Pairings, Valentine's Day Fluff, Vanilla
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-01
Updated: 2021-03-01
Packaged: 2021-03-17 04:40:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 28
Words: 17,259
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28594134
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KittyAngora/pseuds/KittyAngora
Summary: Hajime Hinata spent every one of his Valentine's Days alone eating the chocolates his parents bought and found himself longing for the day he would receive a special chocolate from a special someone. Now a high school student, Hajime voices his disappointment of not receiving a valentine from anyone yet again... until his classmates come to the rescue! But chocolates can't just be given willy-nilly, they have to be given with love and a confession of course! And it can't just be any confession though, it has to be a "Super Heart-Throbbing Chocolate Confession!"
Relationships: Class 77 & Hinata Hajime, Hinata Hajime & Everyone, Hinata Hajime/Everyone, Hinata Hajime/Komaeda Nagito
Comments: 45
Kudos: 270





	1. Intro

“You all did a great job on your exams yesterday but I’m worried about how some of you improved,” Ms. Yukizome announced to the class as she returned Hajime his graded paper, “I thought your paper was Gundham’s at first, but I did confirm it was your handwriting.”

“You betrayer!” Souda yelled across the classroom, “You said you didn’t want to share answers with me during the exam but you did with Gundham!”

Ms. Yukizome smiled, “I’m going to pretend I didn’t just hear that, but are you alright? Hajime, the words on this paper are really unlike you.”

“I see,” Gundham chuckled, “It appears I have a human who wishes to join me in the realm of darkness.” 

Hajime sighed, “Ms. Yukizome, I’m going to die alone.”

“W-what do you mean by ‘die’?” Mikan stammered, “I might not be a doctor but I could at least treat you based on your symptoms.”

“Don’t bother,” Fuyuhiko rolled his eyes, “He’s just being an overdramatic baby.”

Hiyoko sniggered, “Like you’re one to talk.”

“Say that one more time, I fucking dare you.”

“Like the paper says, my youth is wasting away,” Hajime slumped over his desk, “I’m in my second year of high school and I’ve never gotten any Valentine’s Day chocolates.”

“That’s what you’re complaining about?” Mahiru huffed as she reached into her bag, “Jeez, it’s a few days early but I can give this chocolate bar if you-”

Hajime sighed, “I don’t want it.”

“Stop being picky, you can keep it and eat it on Valentine’s-”

“Confess!”

“What are you accusing me of?” Mahiru crossed her arms, “It’s from the school store, I didn’t steal it!”

Hajime glared at her, “Don’t you understand the meaning of Valentine’s Day chocolates?”

“Don’t you just eat them?” Chiaki asked.

“Oh, I know!” Ibuki raised her hand, “It’s love.”

“Exactly!” Hajime pointed at Ibuki, “You can’t just give Valentine’s Day chocolates without properly confessing!”

Fuyuhiko groaned, “If Mahiru says she likes you and gives you that chocolate bar, will you shut up?”

“W-what? Why do I have to say I like him?”

“Dude, you should just ask your mom,” Souda suggested.

“You know, my mom thought I was going to get chocolates from someone else this year,” Hajime sighed, “Do you know what she said when I told her I wasn’t going to receive any?”

“Uh, that she loves you?” Akane answered.

“She said she’ll _always_ love me, like I’m going to die alone with only my mother’s love,” he groaned, “I don’t care who they are, all I want is someone to be my valentine.”

Nagito shuffled in his seat, “I-if you don’t mind someone like me, I could be your val-”

“It’s not such a bad thing to receive your mother’s love, Hajime,” Teruteru interrupted, “But as the Ultimate Chef, I understand your desire to receive food, or rather sweets, that reflect true love. In order to satisfy your lust for love, I propose a game of sorts.”

Chiaki looked up from her console, “A game?”

“We’ll hold a love game where we all give chocolate and love confessions to Hajime on Valentine’s Day,” the chef explained.

“How come he gets all the chocolates?” Akane grumbled, “That’s not fair!”

“Hajime won’t eat all of it, he’ll only accept the chocolate of the person he feels the most moved by and the rest of us can exchange amongst ourselves.”

“I’d rather have candy than chocolate,” Hiyoko interjected.

Hajime thought for a moment, “Well, I don’t mind receiving candy as long as I get confessed to.”

Mikan counted on her fingers, “W-won’t someone get left out if Hajime doesn’t give any?”

Ibuki jumped up, “Hajime could give the winner of the game some chocolate as a reward!”

Sonia clasped her hands together, “The victor of his heart should receive white chocolate for White Day!”

“Uh, isn’t White Day a month away?” Akane asked, “So someone will have to wait a whole month just for chocolate?”

“Nope, he’ll give it out on Valentine’s Day,” Teruteru answered, “Unless there’s any more questions, does everyone here want to play?”

The rest of the class nodded in agreement as Fuyuhiko sighed, “If it’ll get that guy to stop sulking, then I’m in.”

“A chocolate exchange sounds like a fun activity for the class to do!” Ms. Yukizome smiled, “This Valentine’s Day will really be an exciting event you will all remember when you’re older!”


	2. Teruteru

Before Hajime knew it, it was already the morning of Valentine’s Day and he found himself alone in the classroom. Earlier, he tried to amuse himself by picking out familiar faces out of the dozens of students who were walking past the entrance gates but had no such luck.

“Oh, Hajime!” Teruteru excitedly trotted over to his classmate, “You’re here quite early.”

Hajime smiled sheepishly, “I wasn’t sure if you guys were being serious about confessing to me but I was too excited that I couldn’t sleep.”

“Of course we were serious!” Teruteru held up a white box, “Just who do you think this is for?”

“Wait,” Hajime stared excitedly the box, “Is that a cake?”

Teruteru smiled brightly, “I may have gotten a little carried away but it was really fun to make.”

“I guess they don’t call you the Ultimate Chef for nothing.”

The chef huffed as he set the cake down on his desk, “Baking isn’t like cooking at all. It’s like comparing pastrami to bologna.”

“Aren’t they the same thing?”

“You’re lucky that you have that face,” Teruteru winked, “By the way, you wanted a declaration of my love for you, no?”

Hajime started, “You already made this cake and-”

“Bingo! This cake conveys all my feelings about you and the class!” the chef declared, “I even poured my love into it.”

Hajime glanced warily at the box, “You didn’t put that weird stuff from the soup again, did you?”

“T-that wasn’t totally my fault! Hiyoko had a part too!” Teruteru nervously combed his hair.

“I guess it’s a normal cake then.”

“It’s not just a _normal_ cake,” Teruteru grinned, “Don’t you want to guess what shape it’s in?”

“It’s shape?” Hajime repeated before turning pale, “ _Please_ tell me you didn’t make a cake in the shape of a-”

“It’s in the shape of a heart obviously,” Teruteru chuckled at Hajime’s flustered form, “Hajime, it’s not good to have such naughty thoughts towards someone’s pure confession.”

“Hey!” a voice alerted the pair that they weren’t alone, “I thought we were going to wait for class to start!”

Teruteru replied with a smile, “As they say, the early bird catches the worm.”


	3. Sonia

Souda looked at the heart-shaped cake and groaned, “How am I supposed to compete with that?”

“How delightful!” Sonia’s eyes sparkled at Teruteru’s creation.

“Well, I was a bit embarrassed to directly confess out loud,” Teruteru suggested, “but you could focus more on your romantic confession.”

“Huh? Right now?” Souda gulped, “M-my heart, I mean, my lines aren’t yet ready.”

“Get your heart ready,” the chef gave him a thumbs up, “The more passion you give, the tastier your chocolates will be.”

Sonia turned and smiled at the mechanic, “Souda, would you mind if I go next?”

The pink-haired boy stammered, “N-not at all, Miss Sonia.”

“Very well then,” Sonia turned to Hajime and took a deep breath, “Hajime Hinata, you have demonstrated that you are not simply a trustworthy classmate, but treasured friend of mine. Therefore-” Sonia abruptly stopped herself before whispering to Hajime in a panicked voice, _“This is the part where you kneel.”_

“Huh?”

“It’s for the confession,” Sonia added before Hajime kneeled, although a bit confused.

Sonia drew a sword and carefully tapped both of his shoulders with the blunt side, “I dub you, Hajime Hinata, as the knight of my heart.”

“Woah!” Souda gawked at the sword, “Is that real?”

“Of course not,” Sonia smiled at him, “We aren’t allowed to bring weapons, remember?”

Hajime brushed the dust off his pants as he rose from the floor, “So it’s a plastic one?”

“It’s actually your chocolate!”

“Really? It looks real but I guess that’s just foil,” he inspected the sword in Sonia’s hands.

“Although it was a few days, Peko helped me understand Japanese swordsmanship culture,” she gingerly laid it down at her desk, “It is our final chocolate replica of a katana.”

“Wait, you two made _more_ of these?”

Sonia embarrassedly nodded, “It took several tries to get the curve of the blade up to Peko’s standards. Though it is a replica, I am afraid that it will break if you try to swing it.”

Hajime admired the sword, “Still, it’s amazing.”


	4. Ryota

“Aw, you guys started already?” Chisa asked as she opened a box of chalk.

“I only got confessed to by Teruteru and Sonia,” Hajime explained, “Souda said he needs to prepare his heart.”

“I said I needed to prepare my lines!” Souda huffed, “We only have this class today, so I’ll confess to you after.”

“Not right after class though, I have to meet someone.”

“I keep missing my chances,” Souda groaned, “So, who is it?”

_\-----------_

After struggling to push the door open, Hajime found himself battling the fierce winds as he walked across the school roof over to where a boy with light brown hair stood.

“Ryota!” Hajime yelled against the howling winds.

“Hold on, the wind will die down in a second.”

Hajime shivered as the winds calmed down, “Did we really have to meet up on the rooftop like this?”

Ryota adjusted his red scarf, “It’s necessary for my animation and confession.”

“I think I’ll freeze to death before you’re done confessing.”

“That’s exactly it!” Ryota looked at Hajime with determination, “I need to freeze every frame of this moment.”

Hajime rubbed his arms, “You’re sure we can’t move this to someplace warmer?”

“I need this confession picture perfect, so could we stay here please?”

Hajime complied, “I guess a rooftop confession isn’t too bad.”

“From the warm lighting to the subtlety of the trees in the background, this spot would look great in an anime!”

“That’s true but Ryota…”

“Uh, yes?”

“You do remember it’s winter, right?”

“I didn’t know exactly where to confess so I asked Akane for location ideas, but the only ones she had were this rooftop and the pathway where the cherry blossoms are.”

“Then you chose the roof because the cherry blossoms aren’t in season yet,” Hajime concluded.

“Akane said the wind up here is perfect for getting your heart thumping this time of year,” Ryota mentioned before rummaging through his bag, “I started studying more romantic anime after the class decided to do this event for you and it turns out a lot of these confessions take place in spring and summer.”

“I didn’t know you could study anime,” he muttered.

“Of course, you can!” Ryota protested, “I’ll have you know anime saved my life!”

Hajime raised his hands in self-defense, “If you say so…”

“And I want to use anime to help other people too, so I produced a few animated shorts but there’s always been something missing.”

“Is it a soundtrack?”

He sighed, “It’s my faces.”

Hajime stared at Ryota incredulously, “You’re the Ultimate Animator but don’t know how to draw faces?”

“Of course I do! It’s just that I’m not good at drawing their expressions and it drags my entire animation down,” Ryota sighed, “Even when I get voice actors, it looks like they’re giving a voice to a drawing rather than a character. I wanted to have my own animation studio by the time I graduate Hope’s Peak but I don’t think I can with how the judges looked at my work during the practical exam.”

“I think I get it now,” Hajime said, “You want to put emotions into their faces, right?”

Ryota enthusiastically nodded, “Although I didn’t think she could help, Ms. Yukizome said I should try to have more experiences at school and use how everyone is feeling in my animations. So rather than watching slice-of-life anime, I should be more engaged in my school life.” 

Ryota held out a box out of chocolates, “Hajime, I’m going to try my best to improve myself and I hope that one day I can be proud of all the thing I create. This may be selfish of me, but I hope I can see you fall in love with someone.”

Hajime smiled, “Thanks and you know, Ms. Yukizome was talking about you when she said that.”

“Huh?”

“She always wants all of us to be included so when she said _‘how everyone is feeling’_ , she also meant how you’re feeling at school.”

“Oh,” Ryota grew quiet as the pair headed down the stairs, “A-anyways, I’m the real Ryota.”

“I know,” Hajime smiled.


	5. Souda

Hajime found Souda anxiously pacing back and forth, “There you are!”

“Here I am,” Hajime replied as he approached Souda, “So what are we doing in front of the school gates?”

“So glad you asked Hajime!” Souda grinned as he gestured to the open gates, “Take a step outside.”

Hajime walked past the gates before turning around to face Souda, “We aren’t going leaving school grounds, right?”

“Nope,” Souda cleared his throat before pointing to the top of school building, “Hajime, do you see what I see?”

“The school?”

“Opportunity.”

Hajime raised an eyebrow, “Are you trying to sell me the school?”

“Let me try to explain it better,” Souda spread his arms, “This gate in front of us is a simile for a new chapter in our lives.”

“It’s a metaphor.”

Souda crossed his arms and turned to look at Hajime, “Man, I’m trying to pour my heart out to you! It’s not easy to confess to someone, you know.”

Hajime laughed, “Sorry, you can continue.”

Souda scratched his cheek, “Uh, so I can’t do anything fancy like making a cake or an awesome sword. And I don’t know what cool things the rest of our classmates would do, so I’m going to take Teruteru’s advice and try to win your heart with the highest form of friendship I know!”

He proceeded to get down on one knee, “Hajime, you’re like the awesomest friend I’ve had and that’s great and all, but I really want to take things to the next level. I know this is a bit sudden since we haven’t finished our second year of friendship but,” Souda revealed a medium-sized green box that held a large candy ring behind a plastic barrier, “Hajime Hinata, will you be my soul friend?”

“Soul friend?” Hajime asked the kneeling boy.

“Yeah, it’s like soulmates but with friends instead,” Souda grinned before quickly adding, “I know the rules say you can only accept one person’s confession and chocolate, but this is technically a forever promise. You might not get the ring but we get to be soul friends if you say yes.”

“Alright, I’ll be your soul friend, Souda.”

“W-what?” Souda gaped at Hajime, “You mean it?”

“Yeah.”

“Like _really_ mean it?” Souda looked at Hajime sternly, “No backsies?”

“How old are we? Five?” Hajime rolled his eyes before reconfirming, “No backsies.”

Souda pulled Hajime into a quick hug before shouting at the pedestrians and cars driving past, “He said yes!”

The street erupted into cheers and cars honked their horns before Hajime hurriedly dragged Souda back onto school grounds, “What are you thinking? People are going to get the wrong idea now.”

Souda let out a small laugh as he hugged the candy ring’s box, “I guess I got a little excited having a soul friend and all. It’s not the same as blood brothers but I think it’ll work.”

“You wanted us to be blood brothers?”

The Ultimate Mechanic groaned, “It was going to be so awesome. I talked to Gundham about it and he was going to officiate our blood brother ceremony with his hamsters.”

Hajime paused, “How would the hamsters help?”

“I don’t know, but everything was cool up until Mikan found out and told us yesterday that it was dangerous.”

“That kind of sucks,” Hajime mused, “Knowing Gundham, it probably would’ve been fun.”

“I know right? That’s when I thought we could be soul friends because it’s like the same thing minus the ritual,” Souda continued, “Since soul friends are a huge deal, I asked my mom what to get someone when you’re at the biggest stage of your relationship.”

“And she said a ring,” Hajime interjected.

“How did you know?”

He shrugged, “Lucky guess.”

“I wanted to give you a fancy ring for Valentine’s Day so I found this one that’s twenty-five ounces,” Souda grinned, “You can pretend it’s twenty-five carats instead of ounces.”

“I’ll think about it.”

“Here’s your stop,” the mechanic waved at Hajime while holding the candy ring with one arm, “I have to drop this off at my desk. I’ll see you later, soul friend!”

Hajime waved back, “See you, Souda.”


	6. Izuru

Hajime waited at the bench Souda had left him just a few minutes ago. He checked the time on his phone again before mumbling to himself, “Maybe I wasn’t supposed to stay here.”

“Hajime,” Izuru greeted him before sitting down on the bench.

“Hey there,” Hajime turned to the boy, “I was worried no one was going to show up.”

“You would’ve had I not been nearby,” he sighed, “Souda didn’t think to inform us of your location before leaving you here.”

Hajime scrolled through his phone, “Oh, he sent it on the class group chat. Come to think of it, no one else has been using it today.”

“You should ask Fuyuhiko about that,” Izuru replied before showing Hajime a circular tin, “I thought you might enjoy caramel.”

“Thanks.”

“I apologize but I don’t know how to confess to you,” Izuru’s brows furrowed, “I’ve received a confession before but that was back in elementary.”

“Really? You’ve gotten a confession before?” Hajime excitedly asked.

Izuru nodded, “A girl on the playground gave me a straw-”

“A straw?” Hajime echoed, “You sure she wasn’t handing you trash?”

“It was the one filled with colorful sugar inside,” he explained, “She said she liked me and wanted me to push her on the swings.”

“What happened next?”

“I told her I didn’t like boring people and that she should try to be more fun instead of sitting by the swings during recess.”

Hajime sighed, “That’s harsh, even for a kid.”

“I may be the Ultimate Genius but that doesn’t mean I can do everything,” Izuru stared at the tin, “I had asked Chiaki for ideas but I found myself playing a dating simulator with her instead.”

“Well, was the game fun?”

“No, but we later played one of the racing games from our last class tournament and that was enjoyable.”

Hajime laughed as he patted Izuru’s head, “I guess you enjoyed yourself then.”

Izuru eyes widened, “No one’s praised me before.”

“Sorry,” Hajime started to remove his hand, “I don’t know what I was thinking-”

“It’s fine,” Izuru gently placed his hand over Hajime’s, “I was caught off guard so I misspoke.”

“If it’s alright with you,” Hajime said before resuming to stroke Izuru’s hair.

“I meant that no one has praised me like this since I entered Hope’s Peak Academy,” Izuru closed his eyes and leaned into his touch, “My family believes it’s natural for me to excel at whatever I do so they’ve stopped rewarding me like this.”

“Even if you are perfect, it must suck not to get any hugs.”

“I do receive affection from my family, I was referring to headpats.”

Hajime stopped the motion for a second, “I guess it seems childish after a few years of receiving them.”

“Maybe it’s nostalgia but I do enjoy this,” Izuru looked at his classmate, “If I were to show you my assignments in the future, would you continue this?”

“You don’t have to prove how smart you are, Izuru. If you want headpats, you can always ask.”

The genius was silent for a moment, “Really?”

“Yeah, and you could ask always Nekomaru,” Hajime suggested, “He always gives out hugs and pats on the backs.”

“I’d rather not feel too sore after a hug,” Izuru paused, “But I’ll keep him in mind for further study.”


	7. Hiyoko

After spending a few more minutes talking to Izuru, Hajime strolled through the hallways hoping to meet his next valentine. He didn’t have to wait long when he noticed a hand wave him down at the corner of a dark hallway.

_‘That’s totally not suspicious,’_ he thought.

“Hello?” Hajime cautiously walked over to the corner, only to find that there was no one there. Had he just imagined it?

“Boo!”

“Gah!” the brunet stumbled back, “Who’s there?”

“You’re too easy,” Hiyoko laughed from behind a potted plant.

Hajime tried to steady his racing heart, “Oh, it’s just you.”

“What do you mean it’s _just_ me?” the petite girl huffed, “Anyways, let’s go near the windows. It wasn’t worth it waiting in the dark for you.”

“You waited for me?”

Hiyoko walked ahead of him, “Hurry up! I don’t want anyone seeing.”

He followed the girl into a secluded, more illuminated hallway, “So, Hiyoko-”

“Here!” the blonde cut him off, shoving a light pink box into his hand.

Hajime looked at the packaging, “Candy hearts?”

“I know I’m not good at giving out compliments but I really tried my best,” Hiyoko pouted, “Nagito said I could try writing kind notes to make someone smile and feel good about themselves. But I didn’t want to use scraps of paper so I custom made the messages on the hearts.”

The traditional dancer looked away, “It’s lame, I know.”

“I don’t think so,” Hajime responded, “Valentines come from the heart so if you made these messages yourself then they aren’t lame at all.”

Her eyes widened, “Y-you think so?”

Hajime smiled, “Yeah, I know so.”

“A-anyways,” Hiyoko tried to get back to her usual self, “Those candies have my confession on them, s-so you better pick me if you want to hear what I have to say.”


	8. Mahiru

“Alright, then I guess I’ll see you later,” Hajime said as he began to walk in the opposite direction.

“Hold on,” Hiyoko caught Hajime by his uniform’s sleeve, “Big Sis, I mean, Mahiru said I should send you over to her if I ran into you.”

“Then I’ll head over there right now,” the boy paused, “The art room, right?”

“Obviously, so don’t keep her waiting.”

_\-----------_

Upon entering the art room, Hajime was met with the distinct smell of paint. Though he had taken the time to quietly open the door, it looked as though Mahiru was the only student in the room.

Hajime greeted the girl, “Aren’t there usually more people? It seems like we’re the only ones here.”

“There were actually a lot of people in here yesterday who were finishing up their Valentine’s Day cards,” Mahiru explained as she put away the paint brushes, “Everyone will be back tomorrow after they finish handing the cards out.”

Hajime spotted a small blue pot holding dozens of lollipops on a table, “Is that for me?”

“Who else would it be for?” the redhead put her hands on her hips, “Geez, if you had just accepted my chocolate bar, then you wouldn’t have to be running around the school.”

“I’ll admit that it’s a little hectic, but it’s fun receiving valentines from everyone,” Hajime admired the pot, “You know, these lollipops look like they’re flowers in a pot.”

“Really? You think so?” Mahiru sighed in relief, “There wasn’t any green paint left over so I had to use blue. I was worried no one would understand what I was going for, so hearing you say that makes me feel a lot better.”

“Well, I’m just happy to help.”

She gingerly placed the blue pot in Hajime’s hands, “Then could you take this back to the classroom? You’re being summoned.”

“Summoned? W-wait, what about my confession?”

“You really aren’t going to let this go, huh? Fine. I like you, Hajime,” Mahiru turned away to hide her reddening cheeks, “D-don’t go getting the wrong idea! I like you strictly as a friend, okay?”


	9. Gundham

_‘Am I in the right room?’_

Hajime found himself gawking at a classroom that had drastically transformed since he last stepped foot. The normally open curtains were shut, causing the classroom to be devoid of any and all outside light. There was still light in the classroom, however, it came in the form of numerous purple candles. Hajime stepped into the classroom and onto a red-carpet runner that led directly to the Ultimate Animal Breeder.

Gundham darkly chuckled, “So you’ve come for my offering, it seems I’ve greatly underestimated you.”

“Hey, Gundham,” Hajime smelt one of the candles nearby, “Is this lavender?”

With wide eyes, Gundham briskly walked over to Hajime, “Did you complete the soul bonding ritual with Souda?”

“Uh, I did?” Hajime gently moved the boy’s scarf away from the flame, “Careful, we wouldn’t want your scarf to catch fire.”

Though Gundham had taken a step back from the candle, a red glow remained on his cheeks.

“It appears that even these enchanted candles weren’t enough to combat your unforeseen power,” Gundham bellowed, “Though you may have temporarily placed me under a curse, you will not be able to fully conquer me nor will you learn my secret dark arts!”

Hajime tilted his head, “What exactly are you talking about?”

“Let’s drop the pretenses, shall we?” his classmate grinned, “Tell me, how were you able to enslave the hearts and souls of our dear classmates?”

“You said _‘dear’_ classmates, I’m glad you care about us.” Hajime smiled, “Besides, I didn’t do anything aside from writing a paper.”

“I, Tanaka the Forbidden One, don’t care for those lower life-forms. I’m merely concerned about you gathering so many human souls,” he looked away, “All I need are the Four Devas and the rest of my evil minions.”

As if on cue, there was movement inside Gundham’s scarf and the Devas emerged. However, Hajime noticed one of the hamsters, the white and grey one, was still tucked inside his long scarf, near his neck, with its eyes closed.

“This one’s Jum-P, right?” Hajime asked as he rubbed the cheek of the sleeping hamster, “He’s always sleeping, isn’t he?”

“T-that’s right,” Gundham felt his face heat up as he watched Jum-P snuggle towards his classmate’s touch, “I’m surprised a human like yourself noticed his traits; you seem to have a certain affinity to him.”

Hajime moved his hand from the inside of the scarf and looked up at the animal breeder, “Gundham, your face is turning pink, and even your ears. Are you okay?”

“You should know more than anyone,” Gundham hid his face in the purple scarf before giving Hajime a large paper bag, “After all, you are the one who cast this curse on me.”

Hajime lifted a white rabbit plushie out of the pink bag, “I think I’ve seen this on TV before.”

“Your eyes don’t deceive you. She’s no other than Magical Miracle Girl Usami!”

“Yep, that definitely is a magical girl wand.”

“As the Supreme Overlord of Ice, I rule above many underlings who tend to disobey my orders so unfortunately, I couldn’t give you a proper offering.”

“You didn’t want to risk your pets getting into the chocolates, right?”

Gundham nodded, “You seem to understand my position as an overlord. Not only that, you can perform curses and are compatible with the Four Dark Devas of Destruction.”

“I don’t know about the curses part…”

“You have potential but you don’t have enough dark energy,” Gundham fiddled with his scarf, “If you ever wish to join the Tanaka Empire and help me with the underlings, I suggest you work on your curses so they last longer…”


	10. Mikan

“Mikan!” Hajime called out, “Where are you?”

Hajime got a sense of déjà vu when he saw a plant as he turned into the next hallway. He was certain she had to be somewhere nearby as she had politely asked him to be on this floor before quickly running away. After roaming the halls for what seemed like minutes, Hajime was about to stop in front of the staircase when he heard footsteps behind him.

“I’m sorry!” Hajime thought he heard Mikan cry before feeling something softly bump into him. He peered over his shoulder to confirm her identity before turning around to face her. It was Mikan and she appeared to be holding a piece of toast in her mouth.

“You alright there, Mikan?” Hajime asked as she put the toast in her bag.

The girl toyed with her fingers, “Um, I didn’t know what to do for Valentine’s Day so I thought bumping into you would make for a good experience.”

Hajime raised an eyebrow, “Why bumping into me?”

Mikan gave him a small smile, “Ryota said I should try something called the ‘fateful encounter’ trope when he helped me up after tripping the other day.”

“Oh, that’s what you were doing,” Hajime sighed, “I thought it was Chiaki again.”

“I-I’m sorry for not being the one you wanted to receive chocolates from!” the girl bowed her head before adding, “Y-you don’t have to accept my chocolate if you don’t want it!”

“C-calm down. I didn’t mean it like that,” Hajime said as he patted her head, “She just walks wherever absentmindedly and half the time, it’s into me. I swear it’s like she painted a target on my back or something.”

“Um, Hajime,” Mikan lifted her head up before shyly looking at him, “T-this might be a strange thing to ask, but could I smell your hand?”

He looked at her quizzically as he outstretching his hand, “Sure, I guess.”

Mikan sniffed his hand a bit before smiling, “Did you speak to Gundham recently?”

“How did you-?”

“It’s lavender,” she softly said, “I didn’t think anyone would take my advice.”

“What advice?”

“He asked if I could join him in picking out a few candles at the store because the ones at his house aren’t scented,” the Ultimate Nurse recalled.

“Well, I think he liked them because there were definitely more than a few candles,” Hajime replied as Mikan gingerly let go of his hand.

“C-could you turn around please?”

“You aren’t going to try to run into me again, are you?”

Mikan giggled, “Just a little.”

Hajime turned around once more and felt a pair of arms wrapped from behind him. He could feel the heat rising to his face as he felt the girl nuzzle his back and the gentle caress of her arms.

“M-Mikan?”

The nurse giggled once more before facing him, “You’re like a security blanket, Hajime. I think I can see why Chiaki likes being behind you.”

He shook his head, “It’s not just the back, sometimes she’ll walk into me head on.”

“So, um, Happy Valentine’s Day!” Mikan held a large canister in front of Hajime, “It’s been getting colder outside so I hope you like hot chocolate.”

Hajime smiled, “Thanks, Mikan.”

The nurse blushed bashfully, “Y-you’re welcome.”


	11. Fuyuhiko

“You’re late,” Fuyuhiko tapped his foot impatiently as Hajime entered the school’s dojo.

Hajime rubbed the back of his neck, “Sorry about that.”

Fuyuhiko sat down on the mat, “Tch, you’re just lucky I didn’t run off with it.”

“The confession?”

“I’m talking about the pastry, you idiot,” Fuyuhiko patted the spot next to him, “Sit down, there’s something I have to tell you, man-to-man.”

“Wow, this sounds like a serious confession already.”

“Weren’t you listening to a word I said?” Fuyuhiko rubbed his temples, “I swear I have no idea what that woman was thinking when she let everyone do this whole Valentine’s thing. She goes on about having as many experiences as we can, but how the hell is this supposed to preserve our youth?!”

Hajime smiled at his classmate, “From my experience, it’s been pretty fun to receive these.”

“That’s the thing. You don’t need any of these dumb experiences,” Fuyuhiko frowned, “You should be focusing on your friends instead of looking for a relationship.”

“Does that mean I should be focusing on you?”

“If it helps you out then yeah,” the yakuza gave him a smug smile, “You can focus on me.”

“I wouldn’t forget about anyone if I were in a relationship,” Hajime sat with his knees to his chest, “I just don’t want to be by myself in the future.”

“Who said you’d be alone?” Fuyuhiko sighed, “Hajime, do you know what makes a family?”

“Uh, relatives?”

The blond rolled his eyes, “It’s friends, you dumbass. Do you really think everyone in my clan are blood relatives?”

“I guess you guys would want to hire muscle.”

“We don’t just _hire_ people, they’re kind of adopted into our family,” Fuyuhiko explained, “My old man trusts most of the guys he works with because they’re his friends.”

“I guess even criminals have hearts,” Hajime paused, “Wait, are you going to adopt me?”

He crossed his arms, “My family is dangerous as hell. What makes you think you can handle them?”

Hajime shrugged, “You, Natsumi, and Peko aren’t too bad.”

“You wouldn’t last a day in my world. I’ve seen a whole bunch of shit in my whole life that would make any normal person faint,” Fuyuhiko chuckled, “Actually, maybe I’m not so normal.”

“I don’t think so. I mean, you’re always trying to look out for us,” the brunet scratched his cheek, “I think that’s a pretty normal thing for someone to do for their friends.”

“Maybe you’re right, but then again, you’re not normal.”

“Wha-?” Hajime started.

“I guess if I were to explain it, you brighten up the whole room or something,” Fuyuhiko scratched his head, “You barely have to do anything and yet everyone goes crazy trying to make you smile.”

“I asked the rest of the class not to use the group chat today so they wouldn’t spoil their surprises, but it was actually because they’d get even more excited if they all started texting you. Your happiness is kind of infectious like that,” he admitted.

“Are you confessing to me right now?”

“Sorry to disappoint you but no,” Fuyuhiko stood up and handed Hajime a box of macarons, “Like I said, my world is too different, too dangerous from yours so asking you to step into mine, even as a joke, isn’t something I can do.”

Hajime gaped at his classmate, “Woah-”

The yakuza stood up and looked away from Hajime’s bright eyes, “Sorry, but I don’t want to risk-”

“-that was awesome.”

Fuyuhiko’s eyes widened, “The hell? You do know I just rejected you, right?”

Hajime nodded, “I understand but it felt like I was in an action movie just now.”

“You really are something else!” Fuyuhiko grinned as he held out his hand, “You’re my friend so I don’t want you dead, alright? Even if you choose me in front of the whole class, I’ll reject your ass again.”

Hajime grabbed the hand and let himself be pulled up, “If that does happen, could you wear an eyepatch next time? You’d look a lot cooler.”

“I think Nagito is starting to rubbing off on you,” Fuyuhiko chuckled, “You should get going. I think Nekomaru has been hanging around the courtyard for a while now.”


	12. Juzo

Though Hajime had looked down at his phone for a brief second, he immediately felt his head bump into something hard.

“Watch where you’re going,” a familiar gruff voice had said.

Hajime paled when he looked up, “H-hey, Mr. Sakakura. I didn’t hurt you, did I?”

Juzo snorted, “With what? Your spiky hair?”

“I guess not,” Hajime nervously laughed, “I’ll just be on my way then.”

“Hang on, I’ve been trying to get a hold of you for the past hour. It seems like you’ve been spotted running all over the building.”

“Sorry, I won’t run in the halls anymore…”

“What do I look like to you? The Ultimate Hall Monitor?” Juzo sighed, “Look, I’m not here to bust your chops.”

Hajime eyed the security guard, “You aren’t?”

“No, I’m not,” Juzo held out a heart-shaped box that had a note attached, “Just take it, I’m tired of lugging this thing around.”

“Is this-?”

“Didn’t they teach you how to read at your other school?” the Ultimate Boxer retorted.

Hajime was about to reach out when he heard his homeroom teacher gasp, “Juzo, you aren’t giving a valentine to a student, are you? Even if you’re giving up on Kyosuke, I won’t let you have my precious student!”

“Huh? Who said I’d give him to you?” 

Hajime ignored the two staff members’ conversation as he silently read the note: _Happy Valentine’s Day, Hajime. XOXO,_

“Maybe he’s like one of these tsundere characters Ryota talks about,” he muttered under his breath.

“I heard that,” Hajime froze, “Kid, do you really want to get punched on Valentine’s Day?”

“Be nice,” Chisa chastised the Ultimate Boxer.

“So, this really is from you,” Hajime smiled embarrassedly, “I guess then I’ll accept it.”

“Why wouldn’t you accept it?” the Ultimate Boxer groaned once he noticed the box’s position in the student’s hands, “Move your thumb, kid.”

_“Mom,”_ Hajime read out loud.

“Oh, so it wasn’t from you.”

Juzo huffed at Chisa, “Obviously his mom dropped it off. I wouldn’t give a student a valentine.”

Hajime rubbed the back of his neck, “I must’ve forgotten it at the table.”

“I did my job, now scram and stop giving your mom so much trouble.”

_\-----------_

“What are you laughing about?”

“Oh, nothing,” Chisa hummed as she walked beside the boxer.

“I told you, the kid’s mom asked if I could deliver it to him.”

“But you didn’t have to go out of your way to find him; I could’ve brought it to him if you asked,” she teased the boxer, “Are you sure you don’t like Hajime?”

“Quit it, I just didn’t want his mom to worry,” Juzo rubbed the back of his neck, “Besides, it’s not like giving some chocolate would’ve made the kid any less terrified of me.”

Chisa smiled, “Well it doesn’t matter anymore, now does it? You gave him something that made him smile even if it wasn’t from you.”

He sighed, “Whatever, this is yours.”

The Ultimate Housekeeper looked the chocolate, “Is this for me? I thought you were giving one to Kyosuke.”

Juzo showed her another chocolate, “Giving it just to him would make him get the wrong idea. It doesn’t matter anyways, that guy is always working so I doubt he even remembers what today is.”

“And here I was thinking you’d officially be my love rival this year,” Chisa pouted as the pair made their way to the staff room, “I guess Hajime was right, you really are a tsun-”

The Ultimate Boxer huffed as he held the door open, “You better not finish that sentence. I’m not above hitting a woman, you know.”

She smiled as she entered the room, “What makes you think I can’t dodge it?”

“What’s this I hear about a student-teacher relationship?” Kohichi smiled mischievously at Chisa, “You wouldn’t be up to something bad, would you?” 

“Ow, I was only kidding!” the talent scout held his knee where Chisa had kicked him, “I know you’re covering for your friend over there.”

Juzo crossed his arms, “Shouldn’t you still be hungover?”

“I’ve gotta be in my prime for singles night. Do you know how many lonely souls there are in the bar this time of year?” Kohichi tipped his hat, “Anyways, I’m more curious about your encounter with, uh, I think the student’s name is Hajime Hinata.”

The boxer raised an eyebrow, “You don’t know the name of your own students?”

“That kid transferred into my class right after last year’s midterm exam so it’s not like I’ve ever had the chance to meet him,” he remarked, “I’m curious about the kid who’s thrown my former class into a frenzy.”

“They’re competing against each other to see who can give him the best Valentine’s confession,” the current homeroom teacher explained.

“So, he’s getting chocolate from his mom _and_ his entire class?”

“He’s choosing one of them to give his White Day chocolate to,” Chisa explained, “That’s what you were handing him earlier.”

The talent scout whistled, “Not just chocolate but a confession, too? No wonder they’re calling him the Ultimate Playboy, maybe I should be getting advice from this kid.”

“The Ultimate what?”

“That’s what the students have been calling him. He’s apparently been rejecting all the confessions he gets since he hasn’t taken any of the valentines,” Kohichi smirked at Juzo, “I hope you weren’t too hurt when he turned you down.”

Juzo scoffed, “Why would I care? And if anything, I was the one who turned him down.”

“So, you do admit something happened between the two of you.”

The Ultimate Boxer was about to retort when he saw a familiar face enter the staff room.

“Kyosuke, what’re you doing here?”

“Sorry, I was preoccupied earlier and forgot to hand these out. It wasn’t until I stopped by a convenience store that I realized what day today was,” Kyosuke handed Chisa and Juzo a chocolate bar, “Unfortunately, all the Valentine’s Day themed items were sold out.”

“At least you remembered us,” Chisa smiled at him.

Kyosuke nodded, “It would’ve been a shame if I couldn’t get anything for my two best friends.”

Juzo sighed before muttering into Chisa's ear, “Want to put our confession on hold?”

Chisa gave Kyosuke a strained smile before agreeing with her rival, “Let’s do that.”


	13. Nekomaru

“Sorry to keep you waiting!” Hajime ran up to his classmate before resting his hands on his knees to catch his breath, “I was being held up by Ms. Yukizome and Mr. Sakakura. I had to-”

“Hajime, just keep your head up. You’re not taking in as much oxygen in that position,” the Ultimate Team Manager informed him.

“Alright,” Hajime was able to steady his breathing after a minute, “I think I was able to catch my breath a lot faster this time.”

Nekomaru beamed at the brunet, “They don’t call me the Ultimate Team Manager for nothing!”

He continued, “Anyways, I had to drop off the chocolates my mom sent at my desk. That’s why it took a while to get here.”

“Running is fine, but you should be pacing yourself,” Nekomaru looked at him with concerned eyes, “Did you run into trouble with that security guard again?”

“Ah, not really,” Hajime scratched his head, “He apologized the other day and I think he might be sorry.”

His classmate paused, “If you believe so, but I would tread carefully if I were you. He is the Ultimate Boxer after all.”

“You don’t have to tell me twice. Though, I think I’m a bit afraid of him still,” Hajime let out a nervous laugh.

Nekomaru nodded, “It’s natural for someone to avoid direct contact with an opposing team’s player who’s stronger than them. I may be a sports manager, but I can teach you the basic forms of self-defense.”

“I don’t think I’ll be needing lessons any time soon, but thanks for the offer,” Hajime glanced at Nekomaru’s arms, “So, what’s behind your back?”

“I really can’t get anything past you!” Nekomaru gave a boisterous laugh before presenting Hajime with a rose bouquet, “Even though I’ve been a manager for so long, I couldn’t give my own team one of these. When you’re tired from a game, you tend not to want to hold anything that isn’t a trophy or a medal.”

He pointed a thumb at himself, “Whether it’s as your classmate or your friend, I’ll always be there to support you!”

Hajime smiled brightly, “These are awesome, Nekomaru! I’ve never gotten flowers as a gift before.”

Nekomaru threw his head back and laughed, “It’s almost as if it was meant to be!”


	14. Sato & Natsumi

Hajime stared at what Natsumi had suddenly shoved in his face, “Is this chocolate for me?”

“I don’t really care if it goes to you or my brother,” Natsumi smirked, “All I want are those macarons.”

He looked at her dumbfounded, “You want macarons?”

“Don’t play dumb!” the blonde huffed, “Yesterday, my brother asked me for the name of my favorite pastry shop and then buys them without offering me any.”

“Did you ask him if you could have some?”

She pouted, “He said they were for you. When I tried to sneak into the kitchen, Peko was there and said she’d lay down her life for them.”

“For a few macarons?” Hajime asked incredulously.

“For the best ones in town!” the blonde exclaimed, “Don’t you know who makes them?”

Hajime racked his head for the word, “A confectioner?”

“The Ultimate Confectioner, Ruruka Ando!” Natsumi continued, “Don’t you know your upperclassmen?”

“Not really, I know the underclassmen more,” Hajime replied as he spotted someone at the corner of his eye.

“Hey, Sato.”

The green-haired girl sighed, “Why did you run off without me? You said we could give our chocolates together when we saw him.”

Natsumi innocently looked away, “I just happen to see him walking by.”

Sato rolled her eyes, “You ran past me and hid in the bushes so you could surprise him.”

“S-shut up!”

“Anyways, congratulations on officially joining the Main Course.”

“Oh, thanks,” Hajime said as she showed him a chocolate box similarly designed to Natsumi’s.

Sato admitted, “You may have gotten in fair and square, but I’m jealous that you don’t always have to go to class every day. It would be nice to customize my uniform like how the Main Course does.”

Hajime shook his head, “Officially, the Main Course doesn’t have to attend class but our homeroom teacher wants us to. Besides, I only have a few days that I can take off each month since I don’t have a talent.”

“That’s just more motivation for me to try to transfer over,” Sato sighed, “I hope I can see my results soon.”

“I wouldn’t worry too much about it,” Hajime gave her a reassuring smile, “I’m sure the two of you will get in this year.”

Hajime felt Natsumi poke his chest, “You don’t have to act so confident. Now I definitely won’t let you have those macarons.”

“If it makes you feel any better, your brother didn’t confess to me.”

“Of course, I know that!” she snapped, “I heard him practicing in the bathroom mirror.”

“I kind of got entranced by his cool speech,” Hajime admitted.

“My brother is cool, isn’t he? Which speech did he choose?” Natsumi gushed before snapping, “Don’t try to distract me!”

“Macarons?” Sato interrupted the blonde, “Why didn’t you buy them while we were at the store?”

“While we were at the store-?”

A wave of realization struck Natsumi as she groaned, “This is all your fault, dummy.”

Sato smiled at her, “Are you taking to yourself or-?”

Hajime couldn’t tell if Natsumi’s cheeks were glowing from anger or embarrassment.

“You can have the macarons if you want,” Hajime offered.

“Don’t you care about my brother’s feelings, you jerk?”

“Huh, didn’t you just say-?”

“I don’t care what I said,” Natsumi crossed her arms, “As the future Ultimate Little Sister, I won’t let you take my brother’s feelings lightly! Even if he says no, you better beg him on your hands and knees!”

“Natsumi, I thought you just wanted exchange chocolates with Mahiru,” Sato teased, “Do you want to become a future Little Sister-in-Law too?

“Wha-?” Natsumi turned to Hajime with her cheeks even redder than before, “I change my mind! If you so much as propose to my brother, you’re a dead man!”


	15. Akane

Hajime blew hot air into his hands as he waited patiently by the row of trees leading to the school gate. Eventually, he gave up and just shoved his hands back into his pockets.

Akane lightly punched him on the shoulder, “Did ya wait long?”

“Not really, but my hands are already cold. I could’ve sworn I brought gloves with me to school.”

“Huh, would you look at look that. Neither of us have our gloves on,” the gymnast smiled, “I guess all we can do is hold each other’s hands.”

“Huh? Why would we need to-?” Hajime took a second to catch on, _“Oh,_ alright.”

Hajime’s eyes widened when he felt his classmate squeeze his hand, “Woah, your hands are super warm!”

“Yep, that’s what people tell me! It’s probably cuz I’m moving around,” Akane laughed as she walked Hajime through the pathway between the trees, “You know, I’m not the type to do cheesy stuff like this but my secret weapon told me this is a classic move that anyone could do.”

“Your secret weapon?” Hajime asked.

“You know our senior, Ruruka? She makes the tastiest desserts ever! I think she could give Teruteru a run for his money but she said baking isn’t like cooking,” Akane scratched her head, “I kinda thought they were close enough.”

He agreed, “Yeah, I told Teruteru the same thing. Oh, and her name did come up a while ago.”

“She has a boyfriend called Sonosuke, I think. I’m not sure but he was quiet the whole time we were in her kitchen. She showed me how to bake a few things at her family’s store and I’m pretty sure I heard Fuyuhiko over at the counter.”

“It sounds like you had fun.”

“Yeah, I did! Ruruka even brought them to school for me so I wouldn’t eat them!” Akane’s smile fell, “But I sorta messed up on the cupcakes. She told me to pass her the red food dye and I picked up the orange one instead.”

“Orange or red,” Hajime smiled at her, “Cupcakes are cupcakes. What matters is you tried your best, right?”

Akane smiled back at him, “Yeah, you’re right. I was probably overthinking it. I’m used to stuffing my face with food, not making it. Anyways, they’re in the classroom if you want to see the cupcakes later.”

“We could check them out now, if you don’t mind,” Hajime suggested.

“Really?” she looked at him excitedly.

He nodded, “Really.”

“Hell yeah!” Akane pumped her fist into the air before she jogged a few yards in front of Hajime, “You won’t believe your eyes when you see them!”

“Ah crap, I almost forgot!” Akane ran back to place something soft in Hajime’s hand before shyly looking away, “I kinda had to take your gloves for a minute there. You’re the kind of guy who’d complain about me not wearing gloves before you’d me offer one of yours.”

“For the record, I’d tell you to bring your own pair next time,” Hajime shoved the gloves into his pockets and held out his hand to Akane, “But for today, I think we can manage without them for a little longer.”


	16. Byakuya

“Hey, Hajime. I think someone’s calling you,” Akane told him as they walked back from the classroom. Hajime was about to reached for his phone when she clarified, “No, behind you.”

He turned around and spotted a somewhat familiar figure at the end of the hallway, “Well, I guess you gotta go now.”

“I’ll see you later, Akane!” Hajime waved as he walked down the hallway.

“See ya!” she waved back.

It took some time for Hajime to make his way down the long hallway but as he got closer to the figure, he was able make out some of their features. He picked up his pace when he recognized the boy’s short blonde hair and glasses that somewhat shone under the hallway’s florescent light fixtures.

Hajime’s initial excitement had morphed into confusion, _‘Wait, isn’t this-?’_

“Oh, you’re not my Byakuya.”

“Your-?” the underclassman looked at him incredulously, “Of course I’m not _your_ Byakuya. That’s because I’m _The_ Byakuya Togami, not some imposter.”

He huffed, “Well, I suppose I can give you a point or two for recognizing my greatness. Not even my own family can distinguish me from him.”

“If they can’t figure out who is who, then you could use that to your advantage,” Hajime pointed out.

The affluent progeny eyed him with interest, “How so?”

“You could always ask him to swap places with you when you want to sneak out of your castle,” he suggested.

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Byakuya rolled his eyes, “I live in a mansion. There’s no need to flaunt off my wealth when everyone knows who I am. I don’t know what your commoner lifestyle entails, but I’m free to travel wherever I please at my family’s estate. Granted, I tell the limo driver where I’m going first.”

“Uh, sorry for the confusion, I guess.”

“I wouldn’t expect a commoner like you to understand, but I have a reputation to uphold. I can’t leave it in the hands of that imposter,” the blond shivered, “Our resemblance is uncanny, and I’ve even seen stuff his face with commoner’s food. I don’t even know why my family is allowing him to freely roam around our estate.”

“Maybe they want you to have a brother?” Hajime guessed.

He crossed his arms, “Don’t be absurd, I already have enough half-siblings as it stands.”

“A friend?”

“I don’t need any friends. My classmates provide an adequate source of entertainment.”

“Everybody needs friends,” Hajime told him.

The progeny crossed his arms, “I wouldn’t be opposed to teach him how to be more like yours truly, but it seems like the student body prefers him over than me.”

“I don’t think that’s true, you each have your strengths,” he reassured the blond.

“That’s something we can most certainly agree on. On an unrelated note, I heard a rumor from that you’ve somehow convinced your classmates to declare their undying devotion to you. Am I correct in assuming you’ll be having the other me confess to you as well?”

“Yeah,” Hajime scratched the back of his head, “Though, I haven’t seen him yet.”

“It appears I’ve arrived in good time,” Byakuya hesitated for a moment before he handed Hajime a golden-brown box, “In terms of quality, I won’t be bested by some imposter.”

“You want to join my class’ chocolate exchange?”

“The most important duty of being a Togami is knowing who to make connections with. You seem to have your entire class wrapped around your finger so I would like to win your favor. Therefore, the best course of action is to try to entice you with a luxury brand chocolate,” Byakuya concluded before adding, “I’ll admit I’m also curious to see what my imposter was up to in the kitchen yesterday. He caused quite a ruckus for something he could have asked one of our chefs to do.”

Hajime asked with a smile, “So he’s your Byakuya, too?” 

“He’s more so my imposter than that Ryota’s,” Byakuya crossed his arms and huffed, “If I may ask, just how were you able to tell it was me when you first saw me?”

“Aside from your personality?” Hajime raised an eyebrow.

The Togami heir narrowed his eyes, “Yes, aside from that.”

Hajime shrugged, “Then your body, I guess.”

“M-my body?!” Byakuya took a step back as his eyes widened, “Y-you lewd plebian!”

Hajime stared at him blankly, “Is that even a word?”

“I’m returning to my class!” Byakuya’s cheeks were flushed as he turned on his heel, “It may not be today but mark my words, I will find a way to win you over.”


	17. Chiaki

“Chiaki,” Hajime gently shook the dozing girl awake at the water fountain, “You really shouldn’t be sleeping here.”

Chiaki yawned, “Sorry, I had to stay up late to make the chocolates. I’m used to cooking games but baking them is a lot different in the real world.”

“It must’ve taken a while.”

She nodded enthusiastically, “It took me a few tries, but I think I might’ve gotten better at mixing ingredients. I could probably beat my high score now.”

“That’s cool,” Hajime paused when he saw the gamer’s face, “Hey, what’s wrong?”

Chiaki puffed out her cheeks, “I saw you hugging Mikan earlier.”

“Oh, you did?”

“That’s my spot, she can’t take it.”

Hajime huffed, “What do you mean by _‘your spot’_?

“It’s mine by default.”

“Says who?”

“Says Ryota,” she replied, “He says I’m your heroine, according to anime logic.”

Hajime sighed, “What did of logic is that? There’s nothing I need to be saved from. Maybe from geometry, but nothing else.”

The pink-haired girl shook her head, “I looked it up and it’s exactly how we happened to meet. I bumped into you and our eyes met; that’s why I’m going to win.”

“You didn’t even look up at me until a whole minute after,” he complained.

“That’s what I like about you, Hajime,” Chiaki smiled, “You were kind to me even though I didn’t ask first. You stayed when everyone else just moves away.”

Hajime blushed as he looked away, “I mean, I wasn’t going to push you away or anything like that… Wait, do you do that to everyone?”

The girl hummed, “Sometimes when I’m not looking, but I don’t have to look if I hear your voice nearby.”

Hajime crossed his arms, “I was right, you _are_ doing it on purpose.”

“I know you’ll keep me safe when you’re nearby. I believe in you.”

“Don’t believe in me, just look where you’re going.”

“It’s too late, I already trust you,” Chiaki got up and stretched, “I think I memorized what I needed to say from that dating game.”

She bowed, “Hajime, please accept these chocolates and eat my feelings.”

“Uh, I’m pretty sure it’s _‘Please accept my feelings and eat these chocolates’_.”

Chiaki tilted her head, “But that’s what I just said.”

“You told me to eat your feelings,” Hajime explained.

“Wouldn’t it work the same way as accepting?

He sighed, “I guess so, but still…”

Chiaki sat down and rested her head on Hajime’s shoulder, “I’m sleepy.”

Hajime offered her a sympathetic smile, “Sorry, I guess making those chocolates took a lot out of you.”

“Not really, I just had a bunch of quests to complete after I was done,” she explained before closing her eyes, “Do you mind if we stay here for a few minutes?”

“Knock yourself out, it’s Valentine’s Day,” Hajime paused and turned to her, “Actually, don’t do that.”

The pair spent the next five minutes sitting by the empty water fountain in a pleasant silence, listening to the ambient noise of distant student chatter and the occasional rustling of the trees. It was difficult for Hajime to keep himself from fidgeting as he would feel the occasional tickle of a hair on his cheek.

“Hajime.”

“Yeah?” he tried not to get distracted by the smell of strawberry shampoo.

“It’s fun being by your side like this,” Chiaki linked her arm with his, “Don’t let me fall, okay?”

“It’s winter, so it’s not like there’s any water here for you to fall into,” Hajime felt his eyes getting a little heavy, “But sure, I’ll protect you.”


	18. Hifumi

Hajime was dazed when he heard the bell ring from within the school building. It wasn’t until he saw several more students walking past that Hajime realized that not only had he let Chiaki rest longer than he had intended, but he also had fallen asleep. He managed to get his classmate back to their classroom after poking her cheek a few times to wake her up.

_\-----------_

“Thanks for walking me back,” Chiaki smiled as she played on her gaming console, “Wasn’t it fun to take a nap at school?”

Hajime sighed, “That’s only because I let my guard down. I don’t think I’ve taken a nap in the middle day since, well, middle school.”

Chiaki stood by the doorway, “I guess you really pay attention in class then.”

Hajime shrugged, “Just as much as the average person.”

“Anyways, I think I’ll take a small nap here,” the Ultimate Gamer said as she yawned, “You can count on me to defend the chocolates for you.”

“Thanks, Chiaki. Make sure you don’t take too long of a nap this time, okay?”

Chiaki sleepily nodded as she opened the classroom door, “Let’s sleep together another time.”

“D-don’t say it like that!” Hajime stammered.

“Huh? But that’s what we-”

“Because people will get the wrong idea if you say it like that! Just go inside, alright?” Hajime gently pushed her inside the classroom before closing the door.

“Ah, so it seems the rumors were true,” Hajime turned to see a pudgy boy wearing glasses.

“I can explain-!”

The boy chuckled “No need, I see what’s going on. Would you be open to a few questions, Hajime Hinata?”

Hajime eyed him suspiciously, “Hold on, who are you?”

“I see you’re reluctant to give information to someone you barely now,” the boy offered his hand, “Then let’s get acquainted, shall we? I’m Hifumi Yamada, the Ultimate Doujin Author.”

Hajime shook his hand, “So, what’s this about?”

“You.”

“Me?” Hajime pointed at himself.

“Yes, I have a question to you,” Hifumi's eyes gleamed with anticipation, “Now, just how were you able to make your entire class into your capture targets? Please tell me your secret!”

“Uh, I don’t really have any secrets. My class is just exchanging valentines with each other.” Hajime’s eyes widened, “Oh, did you want to join in too? We have a few people joining us who aren’t in our class.”

Hifumi huffed, “If you wanted me to consider you as a possible romantic interest, then you should’ve been born into 2D world.”

Hajime rolled his eyes, “Sorry for being a real person.”

He rubbed his chin, “But you know, if you truly wanted to increase my affection meter, you could try to cosplay as my lovely Princess Piggles.”

Hajime grimaced, “I’m not playing dress up, and was that the only thing you wanted to ask?”

The doujin author frowned, “You see, my latest creation didn’t live up to everyone’s expectations and I’m trying to figure out why. I thought you could hold the key since you’re so similar to the main character.”

“I don’t think I could help you since I don’t really have a talent.”

“You don’t have a talent?” Hifumi gasped.

“Yeah, sorry I couldn’t be much help-”

“Just a moment!” he stared intensely at Hajime, “Were you from the Reserve Course?”

Hajime rubbed the back of his neck, “Yeah.”

“Of course! It’s always the transfer student!” Hifumi gave him a thumbs up, “I’m forever in your debt.”

Hajime stared at the boy quizzically, “What did I do exactly?”

Hifumi chuckled, “You’ve helped in a way you could never imagine.”

“Could you at least give me a hint?”

“Let’s just say your existence is all the proof I need,” he smiled.

“Um, thank you?”

“No, I should be thanking you,” Hifumi shook his head, “Actually, that’s not enough. How should I reward you? Ah, I know! You like chocolate, don’t you? Could you give me your number, Hajime?”

“Here you go, but I don’t need a-” Hajime started before Hifumi cut him off.

“It’s done!” the Ultimate Doujin Author announced as Hajime received a notification, “I’m just sharing my beloved Princess Piggles’ sweet love; she made this chocolate herself, you know.”

Hajime opened the attachment and saw a screenshot of what appeared to be a game, “Thanks, I guess I can lick my phone’s screen when I get hungry.”

Hifumi dreamily sighed, “And her love will last forever.”


	19. Touko

Hajime felt his stomach growl the longer he stared at the digital chocolate. Running around the school had left him feeling hungrier than usual, so he decided to make his way to the chattering cafeteria. He had trouble finding where to sit at first, but Hajime was relieved to find Sonia waving to him from a table close to the windows. Hajime pulled out a chair next to her and began to eat his lunch.

“I thought I was going to end up sitting next to someone I barely know,” he sighed.

The princess smiled, “Fear not, my knight, for I am here!”

Hajime laughed at her, “Thanks, Sonia. I needed that.”

“Ah, are you lonely?” she asked him, “I hope I’m able to provide you with some company.”

“You’re always good company,” he assured her, “I’m just curious where the rest of our class went; we usually just run into them in the halls.” 

“Rest assured, Peko informed me that we are all sheep!”

Hajime looked at her, “Are you sure you heard that right?”

The princess nodded, “She said the class are all fluffy sleep.”

“Fluffy?” Hajime thought for a moment, “Maybe that suits Nagito.”

“Not just Nagito, we are all extremely fluffy!” she protested.

He raised an eyebrow, “Should I be searching for sheep then?”

“It means that we have the tendency to wander outside the classroom,” Sonia explained.

“I think I get it now,” Hajime said as he finished his lunch, “But if all the sheep are loose, shouldn’t there be a dog to herd them?”

Sonia gave him a quick nod, “Yes, and Ms. Yukizome is the shepherd.”

“Huh, what a weird-”

Their conversation was interrupted when hands slammed on the table, “What did you do to Master Byakuya?”

His classmate greeted the girl, “Good afternoon, Touko.”

“Oh,” Touko moved one of her pigtails behind her, “You’re here, princess.”

“What’s this about Byakuya?”

The writing prodigy pointed at Hajime, “I want to know what you said to him! His whole face was red!”

“I don’t know,” he shrugged.

“You must’ve done something. I’ve never seen him act like that,” she said biting her nail.

Hajime sighed, “I told you I don’t know. He just called me some fancy word and left.”

Touko stammered as she took a step back, “H-he gave you a pet name?”

“I don’t think it was,” Hajime scratched his head, “At least, I think ‘plebian’ is supposed to be an insult.”

“How come you get to be called that when he only calls me a ‘commoner’?” she cried before fleeing the cafeteria, “Y-you homewrecker!”

Hajime sighed as he watched the girl run off, “Makoto’s class is pretty weird.”

Sonia smiled at him, “Agreed.”


	20. Jin

Hajime sighed as he tried to sit patiently in the office. However, his boredom was getting the best of him and he found himself staring at a stack of fashion magazines on the coffee table. As he started flipping through the pages, he heard the door creak open.

“I’m sorry for keeping you waiting, Hajime,” the headmaster said as he let another student into the room, “I ran into someone on the way here.”

“It’s fine,” Hajime pointed at the girl on the magazine cover, “I think she’s in Makoto’s class too.”

“Junko Enoshima,” he confirmed, “She likes to send her photoshoots to the school.”

“That’s pretty amazing. It must be awesome to have a famous model and an idol in the class.”

“Your classmates are also publicly recognized for their talents, or have you forgotten?”

Hajime gave him a sheepish smile, “I guess I kind of forgot about that.”

Jin sighed before gesturing to the student who stood next to him, “Since you know Junko, I’m assuming you know Kiyotaka as well?”

“Yeah, he’s usually telling Akane and Nekomaru to stop racing in the halls.”

Kiyotaka crossed his arms, “I better not see those troublemakers do it again.”

“Anyways,” Hajime looked at the desk, “where did the other headmaster go?”

“Other-?” Jin began before realizing what the boy meant, “If you’re talking about Monokuma, he’s been moved to where he belongs, the Nurse’s Office.”

“You should keep him here for school pride. He’s our mascot, after all.”

“Adults shouldn’t be keeping stuffed bears in their offices. Besides, I’m sure he’ll find a way back into my office. I suspect Mukuro is the one who’s been leaving him in my seat.”

“Headmaster!” Kiyotaka tried to get the older man’s attention, “We still have to discuss our problem!”

“Right,” he turned to the student, “The problem that you wished to speak privately about.”

“Should I leave?” Hajime asked.

“No, it concerns you,” Kiyotaka looked determinedly at the man, “Headmaster Kirigiri, I wish to file a complaint against Hajime Hinata!”

“W-what?” Hajime abruptly sat up, “What did I do?”

“For what reason?” the headmaster questioned.

The student pointed at the other boy, “For holding hands on school grounds!”

Hajime groaned, “Are you kidding me?”

“I kid you not! I saw him hold hands with Akane Owari in the middle of broad daylight! Handholding is not only scandalous, but it threatens the morality of our school! It cannot be welcomed in a school environment,” Kiyotaka insisted.

“Seriously?” Hajime huffed, “Just how old are you?”

“Apparently, I’m old enough to be betrayed by my role models,” Kiyotaka crossed his arms.

“How am I your role model?”

He turned away, “I look up to most of the upperclassmen and that includes you as well. You’re supposed to be your class’ moral compass.”

“Thanks, but I’m not the class representative or anything.”

“Kiyotaka, is that the entirety of your complaint?” Jin asked the boy dubiously.

“Yes, and I’m demanding he be reprimanded.”

Hajime turned to the headmaster, “Handholding is illegal in school?”

“No, it’s not,” Jin rubbed his temples, “Unfortunately, I can’t comply with your request, Kiyotaka.”

“But-!” the student started to protest.

“Why don’t you return to your class now?” Kiyotaka reluctantly complied and left the room in a huff.

Hajime started to leave the couch when the headmaster told him, “Please stay seated. I called you in here for a reason.”

“I’m not in trouble, am I?”

Jin shook his head, “No, but I’ve been relayed several eyewitness reports that have me feeling concerned about your decision-making.”

“Decisions?” Hajime echoed.

“Yes, I heard earlier today that you were proposed to on school grounds in front of many bystanders.”

“Ah, no. It wasn’t a real proposal, it was just Souda wanting me to be his soul friend.”

“Your soulmate?”

“He said it’s like that but with friends instead. Basically, it’s like best friends,” Hajime explained.

“He proposed that you two be best friends?” he asked dubiously.

Hajime shrugged, “Pretty much, and he wanted me to have a candy ring.”

“I also heard in the cafeteria that you were a part of some love affair.”

“They’re only classmates, and all Byakuya did was hand me some chocolate.”

Jin sighed, “Yes, the chocolate exchange. Chisa did mention your class would be doing something for Valentine’s Day but I had no idea it would be this hectic.”

Hajime asked, “You’re talking about Ms. Yukizome, right? And there isn’t anything wrong with what we’re doing, is there?”

“Yes, my apologies for confusing you,” Jin ran a hand through his hair, “Students tend to act a little peculiar this time of year. Your class, in particular, is energetic on any given day; I should have taken to account that this holiday would’ve amplified your eccentricities.”

“Oh,” Hajime slumped a little in his seat, “Sorry for causing you trouble.”

The headmaster shook his head, “It’s not a problem for me or the school. I was just concerned that you may have been making some rash decisions. Anyhow, Ms. Yukizome is the one who fills out your class activity forms.”

Jin sighed, “And she hasn’t even turned it in yet. I think she really believes she can win that lottery.”

“Lottery? Ms. Yukizome is trying to get rich?” the student asked, “Maybe she should try asking Nagito for some help.”

“I shouldn’t be telling you since it’s doubtful that your class will win, but an agency is selecting one class to sponsor a weeklong trip to a beach resort.”

Hajime excitedly sat up in his seat, “Really? When?”

“Over spring break apparently,” Jin took a seat over at his desk, “Now, about what we were saying earlier-”

“So, it’s okay to continue with our valentines?”

“Yes, but try to keep your event within your class. Things could get a bit more hectic if more underclassmen,” Jin thought for a moment, “like Kyoko, for example, were to go out and start exchanging valentines.”

Hajime nodded, “I think I understand you now.”

Jin smiled, “I’m glad we’ve both gotten on the same page.”

“Was that the classic _‘Stay away from my daughter or else I’ll kill you’_ line?’ Hajime asked excitedly, “I’ll admit I was more concerned about the confessions but that was pretty cool. I think you could’ve tried to be scarier though.”

“Why would I try to harm you?” the headmaster shook head, “No, I should be asking how you know Kyoko is my daughter.”

Hajime shrugged, “The class found out around the time Souda thought Izuru was a vampire.”

Jin looked the student dubiously, “Why would-?”

“I think it’s because he watched that new slasher movie the night before, you know, _Genocider Syo_? Well, he saw the plaque on the statue outside and thought Izuru was an immortal vampire.”

“But Izuru walks in the sunlight…”

“Haven’t you watched any new vampire movies?” Hajime rolled his eyes, “They can use sunscreen now. Anyways, Izuru introduced us to his great-grandfather who’s pretty ancient; I think he’s a hundred and something years old. Izuru, the one in our class, says modern medicine has gone too far.”

“The founder,” Jin nodded, “Yes, I’ve met him along with former Director Tengan on a few occasions.”

“That’s when he told us that she’s your daughter. I mean, we should have figured it out since you two have the same last name. So, Souda’s fine now but for some reason, clowns freak him out and I think-”

Jin motioned Hajime to stop talking, “I should stop myself from being caught up in your class’ eccentrics. I won’t be able to make it to my wife’s picnic at this rate.”

He sighed, “Since your class and the rest of the school seems to like Valentine’s Day so much, I’ll consider making an official valentine exchange next year. It might just reduce the amount of disorder that’s currently in the hallways. In any case, you’re free to go. Just try not to cause too much excitement today, alright?”

Hajime nodded, “I’ll try.”


	21. Ibuki

“Hey, Hajime!”

“Huh?” Hajime turned around, looking for the source of the voice, “I know she’s somewhere nearby…”

“Down here!” she called from below.

Hajime opened a nearby window and looked down to see his classmate who was bouncing excitedly near a set of guitar amplifiers.

“Ibuki?” Hajime asked, “What are you doing outside?”

“You wanted to connect with someone, right? Then, you just gotta do it with music! So, Hajime, prepare your heart and ears,” Ibuki strummed the first note on her guitar, “Get ready to be serenaded to the max!”

_\-----------_

Ibuki ran up to Hajime as he walked over to her makeshift stage under the window, “Did you like it?!”

“It was interesting,” Hajime admitted, “I’ve never had a song dedicated to me, let alone a heavy metal one. How were you able to bring all this equipment out here anyways?”

“A good musician should know how to quickly set up her equipment,” she boasted holding up an extension cord, “I found a bunch of these in the science lab!”

“Did you just take them?” he panicked a little, “What if they need them to study electricity or something?”

The musician waved him off, “It’s super cool, Seiko let me in! Anyways, they could always try sticking a fork into a socket to see if it works.”

“That doesn’t sound like a good idea,” Hajime said trailing off.

Ibuki grinned as she set down her guitar, “There were a few last-minute changes, but the show just had to go on!”

“Changes?” Hajime asked, “Like what?”

She rubbed the back of her neck, “Ibuki was going to sing you a song about burning passion, but Mahiru thought it would be too dangerous to use a flamethrower near grass.”

Hajime nodded, “That does sound a little risky.”

“So, Ibuki was going to use oil instead but it was all gone in the school kitchen,” the Ultimate Musician pouted, “They only had enough for today.”

“That sucks.”

“That’s when I thought to give you a public display of affection!” Ibuki showed Hajime her palm, “I took notes on the book Touko lent me. The guy played a lute but I think my electric guitar is more heart-pounding.”

“Yep, I could definitely feel the soundwaves from up there,” Hajime placed Ibuki’s hand in his own and began to read some of her notes, “What’s this about ‘Rapunzel’? Was that the book you read?”

“Nah, I needed help testing the acoustics so I asked Izuru to stand by the window,” a smile crept on Ibuki’s face, “He kinda looked like Rapunzel so I told him to let down his hair. Then, he threw a cookie at me.”

Hajime sighed as he slowly let go of her hand, “I hope it was a soft cookie.”

“At least, that’s what Akane told me,” Ibuki burst into laughter, “You should’ve seen it! She caught it with her teeth!”

Hajime looked up at the window where he imagined the scene unfold, “That definitely sounds like something the three of you would do.”

“Well, it wasn’t just the two of them who helped me out.”

Hajime felt something soft brush up against his face. When he looked back, he saw Ibuki holding a large pink heart-shaped pillow that had frills along the sides.

“Isn’t it huge?!” she exclaimed.

Hajime nodded in agreement, “I can’t believe I missed that.”

Ibuki hugged the pillow, “The ones in the store weren’t big enough so Ibuki made one herself! Well, Souda sorta helped since he made my sewing machine. It was a little tricky to put all the fluff inside though!”

“It’s all warm and fuzzy!” she singsonged, “Just like Ibuki’s feelings for you!”

Hajime smiled, “You really put a lot of thought into this.”

“Of course! Valentine’s Day is super important to everyone! So if you ever get a little lonely,” Ibuki squeezed the pillow a bit tighter, “you can hug it super tight, like this, and you’ll remember all the fun you had with everyone today!”


	22. Peko

“Hey, Peko. Are you feeling alright?” Hajime asked as he approached his classmate.

Peko frowned as she crossed her arms, “Truthfully, no.”

“Oh,” Hajime sat next to her on the bench, “Do you want to talk about it?”

She turned away, “If I told you, you’d only tease me.”

“That’s not true, you know I wouldn’t make fun of you.”

“You wouldn’t?” Peko cautiously eyed him.

He nodded, “I promise you can count on me.”

“Well, it’s true that you’re reliable,” Peko mused before sighing, “Do you remember when we all went sledding down the mountains a few weeks ago?”

Hajime laughed, “I remember that and the huge snowball fight after.”

“That was fun, wasn’t it?” she gave him a small smile, “It’s a shame we haven’t been receiving any snow lately.”

Hajime gaped at her, “You want it to be even colder?”

“I suppose that’s partially true. But honestly, I want to finish building my snow army.”

Hajime looked at the swordswoman excitedly, “You’re making an army out of snowmen?”

“They may be snowmen but I have a perfectly good reason for making them!” the swordswoman quickly said, “My old swords are no longer useful so I’ve been equipping them onto the snowmen.”

Hajime smiled at her, “You don’t need a reason to want to play in the snow. How many have you made so far?”

“Nearly twenty as of last month. There wasn’t enough snow to finish the last one.”

“Woah, that must be hard work.”

The swordswoman softly smiled, “I actually enjoy it. As long as you bundle up, there’s plenty of fun to be had in the snow. It’s even more rewarding when you return inside the kitchen to drink some tea.”

“When you put it that way, I kind of want some snow too,” Hajime admitted.

“I suppose this is a good time to give these to you,” Peko handed him cookies wrapped in a plastic bag that were neatly held at the top by a yellow bow, “I don’t typically eat sweets but Hiyoko was kind enough to help me bake sugar cookies.”

“Speaking of sweets, I heard you protected Fuyuhiko’s sweets for me,” Hajime smiled at her, “Thanks.”

“I was merely doing my duty,” Peko looked away as her cheeks grew pink, “But you’re welcome.”


	23. Makoto & Komaru

“Komaru! Wait up!” Hajime heard a familiar voice yell in the distance.

“Um, excuse me?” a girl with short hair called out to him, “Do you know where the school gym is?”

Hajime pointed to his left, “If you stay on this path, you should be able to reach it in no time.”

The girl beamed at him, “Thank you so much!”

“Komaru,” Makoto panted as he ran up to the girl, “You can’t be running off like that! What if someone saw you?”

She smiled as she gestured to Hajime, “I found someone who could lead the way for us.”

“Huh?” Makoto turned to him, “Hajime? What are you doing out here?”

“I just came back from meeting one of my classmates.”

“For the confession thing, right?”

Hajime nodded, “Yeah, Peko was just-”

“You were getting confessed to?” the girl squealed.

“Uh, yeah.”

“Komaru, it’s rude to interrupt people!” Makoto chastised her before he sheepishly smiled at Hajime, “This is my sister, Komaru. Sorry if she bothered you.”

Hajime shook his head, “Your older sister wasn’t being a bother.”

“She’s my younger sister actually,” Makoto scratched his cheek before turning to Komaru, “We shouldn’t keep him, his whole class is confessing to him today.”

Komaru grabbed Hajime’s hand and looked at him expectantly, “Wow, really? Just like in manga? Can you teach me how to get a boyfriend?”

Makoto had a dazed look on his face, “Eh, why do you need a boyfriend?!”

“I don’t want one,” Komaru pouted, “But my friends have been talking about it and I really want to join in the conversation. Maybe I could give them some advice.”

“It’s nice that you want to help your friends, but I don’t really have any advice to tell you.”

“How come?” she asked.

“Well, I was really focused on getting everyone’s confessions at first, but I realized that I was happy just to hang out with my friends today,” Hajime rubbed the back of his neck, “I’ve never really done anything special on Valentine’s Day, but I think seeing everyone smile was special in itself.”

Makoto smiled, “I think today brings out the best in everyone. Even Byakuya is in a good mood, he called me a ‘commoner’ today.”

Hajime paused, “Doesn’t he always call everyone that?”

“That’s true, but he said it with a smile today. I think the two of us grew a little closer,” Makoto said excitedly, “He said our class could come over to his house after school for a cake. It’s supposed to be as long as his dining table!”

“Wow, that’s nice of him.”

“Anyways, we should get going,” Komaru grabbed her brother’s hand and loudly whispered to Hajime, “We don’t want to get caught by some guy called Mr. Sakakura.”

Hajime looked at the siblings, “Caught doing what?”

“You know how I said Komaru is my younger sister?” Makoto sheepishly smiled, “My parents want her to stay with me since her school ended early and Hope’s Peak isn’t that far of a walk; I’m giving her a small tour before I bring her to my classroom.”

“Now that you mention it,” Hajime looked at Komaru’s uniform, “Her uniform is a little darker than ours but she should fit right into the school.”

“See? I told you I’ll be okay!” the girl turned to her brother, “Even Touko thought the same thing.”

Makoto’s eyes widened, “That’s right! We should head to the school library afterwards. I bet she’d like to see you again.”

Komaru cheered before waving back at Hajime, “Bye! It was nice to meet you!”


	24. Celestia

Hajime watched as the two siblings headed in the direction of the gymnasium. The footsteps that he nearby had come to a gradual stop before he eventually heard a deep sigh.

“Those two didn’t confess to you, did they?”

Hajime shook his head before the girl continued, “That is a relief. It seems like there’s more and more people approaching you.”

“Celestia, was it?”

“My,” Celestia’s eyes widened as she covered her mouth, “You know who I am?”

“Yeah, I’ve seen you play games with Chiaki and Sonia,” Hajime explained, “Plus, it’s not like your name is hard to forget. So, what’s up?”

“I’ll award you some points for that comment.”

“Points? Am I supposed to be winning something?”

“Unfortunately, you aren’t the one winning anything,” the gambler smiled at him, “I have a small wager going on.”

Hajime raised an eyebrow, “You want me to help you bet on something?”

She shook her head, “Of course not, it would unfair to the other candidates.”

“Then, what are you betting on?”

“You, obviously.”

“Why me?” Hajime huffed, “What did I do?”

“You didn’t do anything wrong. Rather, it’s about what you’re going to do,” Celestia clasped her hands in front of her and smiled, “I can’t wait to see who you will choose to be your valentine.”

“Wait, that’s what you’re betting on?” Hajime asked, “Who did you choose?”

She held a finger to her lips, “That’s something I can’t possibly tell you. I wouldn’t want to invalidate the results after all. Speaking of, it seems that my chances of winning this wager has gone down thanks to some uninvited guests.”

“I don’t mind since it’s nice to chat with my friends too.”

“How frustrating,” Celestia said as she took out a chocolate bar, “Maybe if you beg, I’ll hand you a piece of my chocolate bar.”

“Uh, I’m good.”

She hummed, “What a pity…”

“You could always cancel your bet if you’re afraid of losing,” he suggested.

The Ultimate Gambler huffed, “Celestia Ludenberg does not _cancel_ wagers simply because she is not a coward. When it’s times like these, all I can do is trust in my good luck.”

“I didn’t know you were lucky.”

“Obviously, you need some luck in order to gamble successfully. How could I have won otherwise?” she mentioned, “I’ll also be coming over to your class’ party to see the results myself.”

“I thought your class was having a party at Byakuya’s place.”

“My class and I will be leaving after the school day ends. Do be punctual for your event, as I don’t like to be kept waiting,” Celestia paused for a moment, “Though, I do suppose I could play with some of your other classmates.”

“You want to play a game with them? I’m sure they’ll be up for it whenever you want to stop by our classroom,” Hajime told her.

“Hm, I suppose I will accept your invitation,” Celestia smiled at the upperclassman, “I do sincerely hope you practice a few games before you challenge me, or else you’re sure to lose.”


	25. Kyoko

“Hey, Kyoko. How’s it-?”

“I don’t have any chocolate to give you,” she interrupted him.

Hajime huffed, “I wasn’t going to ask you that.”

“I knew that,” the detective looked away, “I just didn’t want you getting the wrong idea. By the way, I’ve noticed that you’ve been receiving a lot of confessions. You’ll need two more from your classmates, is that right?”

“Yeah, I just need to figure out where those two are.”

“You don’t have their numbers?” Kyoko asked.

Hajime scratched his head, “I don’t think I’m supposed to call anyone. If I don’t stumble upon someone, then I’m usually getting a text from them.”

She sighed, “That’s inconvenient. Are you aware that most of your classmates are inside helping your teacher decorate?”

Hajime looked at a nearby clock, “I have about two hours to find them so I think I’ll be alright.”

“That doesn’t mean you should be walking around the hallways without a clear goal in mind,” Kyoko crossed her arms as she took a step forward, “Don’t you think you’re keeping them and everyone else waiting?”

“So you’re the one who’s betting with Celestia.”

She hesitated before answering, “Y-yes, did you tell her anything?”

“About who I was going to confess to?” Hajime shook his head, “No, even I don’t know.”

“I don’t know your classmates that well,” Kyoko admitted, “But I think you’d make whoever you choose happy, even if it’s just for receiving a valentine.”

“Really?”

The detective sighed, “They did arrange this all for you, didn’t they? Just make sure to properly convey how you feel when it’s finally your turn to confess.”

“Thanks for the advice, Kyoko,” he beamed at the underclassman.

She offered him a small smile, “I’m glad I could ease your worries a little.” 

Hajime scratched his head, “Anyways, how much do you lose?”

“Huh?”

“If Celestia wins the bet.”

“My dignity,” Kyoko rubbed her arm, “She noticed how often I wear my gloves so if I lose, I have to wear mittens tomorrow.”

“Mittens?” Hajime stared at her incredulously, “That’s it?”

“I’d be wearing them for the whole day,” she added, “Of course, the penalty also applies to her if she loses.”

“What if you both lose?”

Kyoko’s eyes widened before she hid her face with her hair, “Admittedly, I didn’t think about that.”

Hajime sighed, “And they call you the Ultimate Detective…”


	26. Imposter

“It looks like you’re Byakuya today,” Hajime said as he walked inside an empty classroom, “I wasn’t sure if I was going to see you dressed up as Ryota.”

The blond huffed, “I already disguised myself as Ryota yesterday. If this is too confusing for your simple mind, then you’re free to call me ‘Imposter’.”

Hajime looked at the Imposter, “Is that okay? I mean, doesn’t it hurt to be called an imposter?”

“Not in the slightest,” the Imposter gave Hajime an amused smile, “I appreciate your concern for my feelings, but that is my title. My talent is quite handy, I can go wherever I want as whoever I please.”

“I guess it must be pretty fun to be Byakuya.”

The Imposter nodded, “I’ve never had a family before so walking around the Togami household is quite the novel experience. It’s surprising really. Even though most of them are half-siblings, they seem to get along quite well. I can understand now why the real Byakuya is proud of his family name.”

“It sounds like you’re enjoying life over there,” Hajime smiled.

He hesitated, “I’m no coward so I won’t deny the truth. But I’m starting to get concerned of how close I am to the family. Aren’t I just an impersonator?”

“I think you’re thinking too deep about this,” Hajime said as he shook his head, “They want you around because they like you, not because you look like Byakuya.”

“Hajime, you’re the only one who can see my true self. So, I think it’s alright if I confide in you,” the Imposter shifted his glasses. “The Togami family, technically Byakuya’s father, asked if I wanted to be someone.”

Hajime pulled out the seat next to him, “Like what plans you have for the future?”

“Not that exactly,” he sighed, “He wanted to know if I wanted to have an identity.”

“An identity?” Hajime’s eyes widened, “Hold on, he wants to adopt you?”

“He wouldn’t mind having another child in the household since they’re already a big family. Of course, he also gave me the option of having an identity that wasn’t associated with the Togami name,” his classmate sighed, “I’m not sure if I want to lose my anonymity but I wouldn’t be opposed to having an identity of my own. However, I’m not sure what life would be like as my own person.”

“I think you should take some time to think about what you might want to do,” Hajime said, “If you’re going to be Byakuya’s older brother though, you might want to be careful around him since he likes his status an awful lot.”

“It seems you two have a similar way of thinking, Mr. Togami also told me to think about it,” the Ultimate Imposter explained, “While Byakuya is the family heir, he’s also the youngest so his siblings tend to tease him a lot; they’ve also been encouraging me to join as of late. Maybe becoming his brother wouldn’t be such a bad trade-off.”

Hajime laughed, “Teasing Byakuya does sound like a good incentive to join his family. You should ask Izuru for some tips.”

“Maybe I will,” he mused, “I wonder if the class would even recognize me.”

“We definitely would,” Hajime reassured him, “We know your likes and dislikes so it wouldn’t be that hard to figure you out.”

“You do?” his classmate raised an eyebrow, “But I’ve never told you anything.”

“I mean, it’s natural we know a thing or two about our class rep. You’re our leader after all.”

“That’s right, I am,” the Imposter crossed his arms and gave Hajime a confident smile, “I heard Byakuya gave you a chocolate in an attempt to beat me.”

“That’s right.”

“But little did he know my chocolate creation couldn’t be beaten by him,” his classmate chuckled, “Behold! The real Byakuya may say quality trumps all, but I say it is quantity that trumps all!”

Hajime gaped at the jar, “It’s huge!”

“Is it really?” the Imposter asked before shaking his head, “No matter, Teruteru sent me a recipe for homemade chocolate bars but after tasting a sample, I thought of the endless possibilities chocolate has. What I hold in my hands is chocolate fondue.” 

“Like what you dip strawberries in?”

“Exactly,” the Imposter confidently replied, “For my confession, I will give you an event like no other! I, acting as Byakuya Togami, will personally feed you this chocolate should you pick me as your valentine!”

Hajime felt his face grow hot, “W-what?”

The Ultimate Imposter smiled at Hajime as he left the empty classroom, “I look forward to hearing your confession. Don’t keep everyone waiting, there’s only one other person you have yet to talk to.”


	27. Nagito

Hajime got up from his seat and was beginning to make his way over to the door that the Ultimate Imposter had left open when another student walked in.

“Hajime,” Nagito gave him a small smile, “I hope you don’t mind that Byakuya let me in.”

“I’m just glad to see you,” Hajime rubbed the back of his neck, “And I don’t mind being a part of whatever you and the Imposter are up to.”

The lucky student looked at him with wide eyes, “You knew you were talking to the Imposter?”

Hajime gave him an awkward smile, “It’s not like he’s the same weight as the real Byakuya or Ryota.”

“I don’t think even Izuru can figure that out. Being able to tell the difference from a slight weight change,” Nagito smiled at him, “you truly are amazing, Hajime.”

“I doubt he doesn’t know. I mean, it’s a big difference,” Hajime scratched his cheek, “A-anyways, you have something to give me, right?”

Nagito nervously shifted from one foot to the other before he eventually handed Hajime a card, “Bad luck tends to follow me in the kitchen, so I thought you might like this instead.”

Hajime stared down at the card, “Is it alright if I open it?”

The boy nodded, “It’s probably better if you do.”

“Are these tickets?”

“This might be selfish of me to say but,” his classmate looked at him nervously, “I’d really like to go somewhere with you. We’ve gone to many places together for our class trips but we’ve never been to the aquarium before. Of course, I’m probably not the best person to go with and it might be boring watching the fish-”

“Don’t say that,” Hajime smiled as he handed Nagito the card back, “Everywhere is fun when I’m with you.”

“Really?” Nagito took a shaky breath, “But what if I have bad luck that day? The glass could break and we might get eaten by sharks or even whales. And that’s if we don’t get swept up by the waves and drown first!”

Hajime hummed, “That is pretty unlucky.”

He frowned, “So maybe it’s better that you don’t accept my valentine…”

“But you say that your luck balances itself out, right?” Hajime said, “I bet if the glass broke and the fish swam out, we could probably catch a ride on dolphin and arrive safely outside.”

Nagito frantically shook his head, “There would be no escape if that happens. I don’t want to think of what could possibly happen to you if you stay near me for too long.”

“It’s true that I find myself in the weirdest situations when I’m around you,” Hajime smiled, “But I wouldn’t have this many great memories if it wasn’t for you and your fun adventures.”

The boy tried to hide his face behind the card, “Even if you don’t mind my luck that much, going by ourselves pretty much means we’re going out on a date.”

Hajime started, “If you don’t want it to be a date, it doesn’t have-”

“Of course, I want it to be!” Nagito, startled by his own outburst, looked away with reddening cheeks, “I-I mean, if it’s with you then I would want it to be a date. You don’t have to accept my valentine, but I would like to go out with you.”

Hajime felt his cheeks getting warmer, “Maybe-”

“W-we should get going,” Nagito held Hajime's hand as he led him out of the classroom, “It wouldn’t be nice to keep the class waiting for so long.”

“Um, Nagito…”

The boy gave him a shy smile, “You can tell me whatever you want during the party, alright? I just wouldn’t want to be rude to our classmates.”


	28. Epilogue

By the time the two had reached their destination, most of classroom had been decorated in various shades of pink and red. Hajime could still smell the lavender lingering in the air as he watched the rest of his classmates chatter excitedly as they hung streamers on the walls.

“It’s great to see you two!” Ms. Yukizome smiled as she handed Hajime a paper heart, “We could really use your help putting these up, Hajime.”

As Hajime placed the heart up on the chalkboard, he felt an arm wrap around his shoulders.

“Dude, where have you been?” Souda beamed at him, “I’ve been waiting forever for my soul friend to arrive!”

Fuyuhiko groaned, “Not this again. Just what the hell did you two do? He hasn’t shut up about the two of you being ‘soul friends’ or whatever since this morning.”

“Our friendship has gone up to the next level,” Souda gave him a smug smile, “You’ll never understand the bond that we share.”

“Whatever,” the yakuza rolled his eyes before turning to the brunet, “Anyways, go and pass that tape over to Sonia and Mikan.”

Hajime smiled at the two before going over to the windows, “Fuyuhiko said you two needed this.”

“T-thank you!” Mikan smiled as she graciously accepted the tape, “I also have bandages if you get any paper cuts.”

He gave a small laugh, “That’s good to know.”

“Hajime,” Sonia smiled, “I have to thank you for giving me the full Japanese holiday experience. I’m told my home country has only started celebrating this year. I can’t wait to tell everyone about all the fun we had today!”

Hajime felt someone tap his shoulder, “Aren’t you forgetting something?” 

He looked over at Hiyoko, “I think just about all the decorations have been put up so I don’t think so.”

“Exactly, you fool!” Gundham bellowed from across the room, “We have completed our preparations so now it is your time to fulfill the prophecy!”

Hiyoko pointed over at Gundham, “What he said.”

“Should I just give it or-?”

Mahiru smiled at Hajime as she guided him to the front of the classroom, “You didn’t think we’d let you off the hook that easy, did you?”

“In front of the whole class?” Hajime asked nervously.

Izuru nodded, “It’s more efficient that way.”

Teruteru retrieved the heart-shaped box from Hajime’s desk and handed it to Chiaki, “You could always picture everyone in their underwear if you get scared. You’ve always been pretty accurate when it comes to guessing at which type everyone’s wearing.”

“It’s true. That might just be your talent, Hajime,” Chiaki stated confidently as she handed the chocolates to him.

Hajime huffed, “I don’t want to be talented if that’s what my talent is going to be.”

“Now remember, Hajime!” Nekomaru slammed a fist over the left side of his chest, “Speak from the heart!”

“You should try act super cool like Nekomaru here!” Ibuki chirped as she swung her legs in her seat.

Hajime gulped, “I really have to do this then.”

Chisa placed a hand on his shoulder and gave Hajime a warm smile, “It’s alright to be a little nervous. We believe in you so take all the time you need.”

“A-alright, here goes,” Hajime could feel his heart thumping in his chest, "I've really, really liked you for the longest time. I like, well, I actually love your smile and seeing you everyday makes me really happy. I don't always know what to expect when I'm around you, but that's also why I like you so much. Whether it's bad or good luck, I’ll always want to be by your side."

“S-so, um,” Hajime took a deep breath and held out the white chocolates in front of him, “Nagito, will you be my valentine?”

“H-huh?” Nagito looked around before pointing at himself, “Me?”

Hajime nodded embarrassedly, “Yes, you. There’s nobody else here named Nagito, is there?”

Nagito blushed as he accepted the chocolates, “Yes, I would love to be your valentine, Hajime.”

_\-----------_

About half an hour later, the festivities were underway and the classroom was full of laughter and cheer.

“You know, Hajime. I think I’ll just use your face in my animation!” Ryota excitedly said.

Hajime groaned, “Please don’t. I might just die from embarrassment.”

“You promised to help him, didn’t you?” the Imposter smiled at him, “There’s no harm in Ryota using you as a reference, is there?”

Hajime was about to open his mouth when Akane cut him off, “You should’ve said something cool like _‘I will destroy all the obstacles in the path of our love!’_ and then chopped his desk in half!”

“Isn’t that more of a threat though?”

She grinned, “That’s what makes it all the more romantic.”

“Celestia wished for me to tell you that you did a good job and to stay warm,” Peko said as she petted the rabbit plushie on her desk.

He raised an eyebrow, “Why would she tell me to stay warm?”

Peko paused, “She didn’t specifically say that, but she showed me a pair of mittens.”

“At least, I know who she betted on,” Hajime muttered as he watched Nagito take a seat next to him.

“The dogs on the card are pretty cute, aren’t they?” the lucky student said as he gently placed the heart-shaped box down on the desk. 

He hummed, “That might be true, but I don’t think they’re as cute as you.”

Nagito smiled before playfully flicking the boy on his nose, “Just because it’s Valentine’s Day, doesn’t mean your cheesy pick-up lines will work on me.”

Hajime sheepishly smiled at his valentine, “It was worth a shot at least.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, I can't believe I was able to make it to this point! 
> 
> Even though the chapters themselves weren't too long, I wasn't sure if I could create 28 chapters of character interactions. But I really wanted to challenge myself and build onto every chapter instead of writing everything at once. Thanks to all the kudos and fun comments everyone left, I was able to push forward and get every chapter done! 
> 
> This story was a super self-indulgent fantasy of mine but I'm so glad I was able to make everybody smile!


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